Stevens



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

RM. STEVENS.

AUTOMATIC LATHE. l

110.337,53@ l Patentedllvm. 9, 1886.

'(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. M. STEVENS.

AUTOMATIC LATHE. No. 337,530. Patented Mar. 9, 1336.

Unire@ .Sterns Parenti trice.

FRANK M. STEVENS, OF NEW YORKfN. Y.

AUTOMATIC LATHE.

SPECIFICATION forming part o Letters Patent No. 337,530, dated Marzia 9,1886.

ApplicatiL-n tiled April 24, 1885.

To a-ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Lathes,of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of certain mechanical devices so combined andarranged as to produce a complete automatic working lathe wherebyvarious articles required to be either turned, milled, bored, orpunched, or reqniring any one or all ot' these manipulations or others,may be operated upon while being held rigid for a limited time by asuitable clamp or its equivalent, so constructed as to be capable ofreceiving the article to be operated upon and releasing` it only aftersaid operations or manipulations have been completed. This I accomplishby the use of one or more revolving turrets provided with Vbothrevolving and stationary tools, said turrets being mountcdupon suitablesliding carriages gibbed to the lathe-bed, the various movements of theturrets and carriages being produced by means of cams, levers, andsprings, the revolving tools carried in said turrets being operated bymeans of gearing or other suitable mechanism.

The object of my invention is tocheapen the cost of producing variousarticles requiring these various operations by doing it all without theemployment of hand labor.

Figure l is an elevation of my improved automatic lathe, Fig. 2 being aplan view of the same. Fig. 3 isan enlarged section takenlongitudinally, showing the turrets with their carriages mounted on thelathebed, the levers, spring, and a portion of the cams by which theyare operated, also the vertical shafts Carrying the drivinggears,operating the pinions by which the re\olving tools are driven and thebelt-pulleys by which the power is transmitted. Fig. 4 is a transversesection taken through the center of one of the turrets, showing themanner of mounting the carriage upon the lathe-bed and the turret uponsaid carriage. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of t-he feeding mechanismwhen in its position on the lathe-bed. Fig. 6 is a front elevation ofthe inclined feeding-chute detached from the lathe-bed. Fig. 7 isv a de-Serial No. 163,242. (No model.)

tached front elevation of the seat or support upon which is placed thearticle to be operated upon. Fig. 8 is a general plan view of thefeeding mechanism complete bolted to a section of the lathe-bed. Fig. 9is an enlarged perspective view ofthe clampingjaw, which is adapted toslide vertically upon and in front of the seattor support shown in Fig.7 and clamp the piece while being turned, bored, or punched, and alsoshows a section of the lever to which it is pivoted and by which it isoperated. Fig. l0 is a side elevation of that cam for rotating theturret which is represented at the left hand in the plan view Fig. 2.Fig. 11 represents that cam for rotating the turret which is representedat the right in the plan view Fig. 2. Fig. 12,'is a side elevation ofthe cam for operating the left turret carriage, and Fig. 13 is a likeview of the cam for operating the opposite turretcarriage.

The lathe-bed A is preferably formed 'of cast iron, and may be made inany design which is conveniently adapted to carry the various partscomprising my improved machine. If constructed in accordance with mydrawings, this part, looking at it in plan, is of rectangular form,having an opening through from top to bottom. the sides and ends beingprovided at their bottom with an outwardly-projecting flange, a, ot'any'convenient width and thickness.

Two turrets are provided, in order that both ends of the article to bemanufactured may be operated upon at the same time. Each lof theseturrets B B is provided.respectively, with suitable journalboxes, B2 B3,for carrying the, shafts for operating the various tools required toperform certain work to be hereinafter described. Said turrets aremounted, respectively, upon and within the sliding carriages C G', whichare adapted to slide to and fro upon the flanges c', projectingoutwardly from the top ot' either side of the lathebed A, gibs beingprovided and held in position by set-screws for taking up all loosenessor slack resulting from wear, as seen best in Fig. 4.

Near either en d of the bed A, and bearing, respectivel y, against thetu met-carriages C C', are hung the levers D D', the tops ot' which areadapted to bear against the outer ends of IOO said carriages and becontinually held in contact with the same by reason of the cams E E',which bear against friction-rolls d d', m ounted upon a pin passedthrough suitable ears formed upon and projecting from the said levers DD', about midway from either end thereof. Between said carriages C C',and reaching from one to the other, is placed the spiral spring F, whichbears against said car riages and serves to force them apart, aconvenient means for retaining said spring in its proper position beingillustrated by the studs c c', formed upon said carriages, over whichthe ends of said spring may be placed.

The construction and mode of operation of the turrets, slidingcarriages, intermediate spring with their levers and cams are bestillustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The cams E E are mounted, respectively, upon the transverse shafts G G,mounted in suitable bearings on the lathe-bed A. Motion is communicatedthereto respectively by the bevel-gears r/ g', mounted upon the frontend of either of said shafts and meshing, respect ively,with thebevel-gears H H', mounted upon the main shaft h, hung in suitablebearings formed upon or attached to the bed A, and provided at one endwith a suitable drivingpulley, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

I do not limit myself to any one means for rotating the turrets so as tobring the different tools into position, as the mechanism mustnecessarily vary with the class of work this lathe may be constructed toperform. It may be advisable to use for this purpose racks and pinions,various gearing, chain belts and pulleys, or the cylindrical sidesof theturrets may he notched, as at b b, to receive, respectively, the slidingpawls I l', operating laterally in or upon the horizontal levers J J',guided, respectively,by the snpportingways K K, bolted to the lathe-bedA and receiving motion from the vertical levers L L. to the tops ofwhich they are pivoted at kk. These levers L L may be similar to thelevers D D and hung in a similar manner and operated by means of thecams M M. By varying the length of the said levers L L from theirfnlcrumpoiut to the point of contact with the cams M M the rotation ofthe turrets B I3' may be limited as required for bringing the differenttools mounted upon the top thereof into line with their work.

The various tools-such as dri1ls,polishing tools, or milling-toolswillbe placed in a chuck, and said chuck be threaded to the outer end ofashaft, b, this form of shaft being shown in Fig. 3 ofthedrawings,mounted in one of the journalboXeaB'l, and having on itsinner end a bevel-pinion meshing in a bevel-gear mounted upon the top ofthe Ver tical shaft N, having its bearing in the turret, and provided onits lower end with a suitable driving-pulley. Each ofthe turrets isfitted alike, respectively, with the shafts bb,monnt ed in their boxesB2 B, the bevelpinious and bevel gears and the shafts NN having suitabledrivingpulleys. Some of the bearings B B3 are h'tted in this manner, andothers with various non-revolving tools.such as centeringtools, punches,andthe like, which may be held in place in the said bearings by ordinaryset-screws, and made to perform their function (after having beenbrought around to a position longitudinal with the lathebed by therotary movement of the turrets) by means of the carriages C C', uponwhich the turrets are mounted, and to which a sudden quick motion may beimparted by thc cams and levers before described.

rEhe feeding mechanism consists of an inclined chute, O, into which theblanks to be operated upon, after being cnt the proper length, areplaced one above the other, asin Fig. 5. At the foot of this chute ismounted a i'eedroll, O, having sei-rations or grooves running from endto end. The object ofthe wheel or roll O is to prevent the chute fromemptying itself prematurely. This is accomplished by contact with theblanks X, nearest the lower end of the chute, as seen in Figs. t' and 8,and bythe mechanism, to be described, whereby said blanks are passed outsingly. After leaving the chute these blanks are deposited on theseat-block I, which is formed as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, and the momentit is fairly deposited thereon the adjustable jaw Q, drops upon it andholds it firm as a vise, and while being` so held the various tools inthe turrets are doing their work. The adjustablejaw Q is held closetothe seatblock P, and allowed a vertical movement thereon by the screwbolt j?, which passes through the slotted opening Q', (shown in Fig. 9,)thence through a hole in the seat-block P, and terminates in the metalsupporting the chute O. (Seen in Figs. and.) This jaw Q is pivoted atits bottom to the forked lever R, fulcrumed at R' to the chnte-frame, asin Figs. 5 and S, said forked lever extending thence laterally forwardand over the driving-shaft li, at which point it restsin a shoe, S,provided underneath withsnitable ears, s, bctween which is pivoted afriction-roll, s', bearing upon the cam T. mounted, as shown,upon thedriving-shaft It. The outer end of the forked lever 1t carries theweight U, which may be one hundred pounds (more or less.) The shoe S maybe secured in its proper position by a setscrew, s?, asin Fig. 8. r

The operation of this feeding mechanism' is as follows: The directionofthe rotation of the cam T is shown by the darts in Fig. 45, and whenthe ridge t passes under the friction-roll s the lever It and the jaw Q,are caused to rise. This mov.Y ment rotates the feed wheel or rollO'jnst one notch by reason of the latch V,

ICO

IIO

which is pivoted at 'u to the top of thejaw Q,

said latch V, and said latch may be prevented from dying out from thegrooves in said feed roll by a suitable spring, if desired so to do.Side plates, Q2, will straddle the seat-block P, and thus guide the jawQ during its vertical movement, and, if desired, a die-plate containingany necessary inscription may be fitted to the groove Q3. (seen in theperspective view of this piece, Fig. 9,)and every time said 1o jaw comesdown upon ablank said inscription in their construction as t0 be adaptedfor carwill be embedded therein.

The chute O may be made of different Widths in conformity to diiferentclasses of work or work of different lengths. The baseplate o of saidchute O is bolted, as seen in Figs. 5 and 8, to the flanges a2,projecting out from the flanges c of the lathe-bed A.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the sliding carriages arenot dependent upon the actuating-levers D D for receiving motion, as thecams E E' can be arranged to operate directly upon said carriages withequally as good results. Either or both of the said carriages C C may beoperated by cams, or by the cams and actuating-levers, as before stated,and each or both be so varied rying various tools or the work to beoperated upon independent of the revolving turrets, and thus serve agood purpose upon other than turret-lathes.

Having described the construction of my improved lathe in order toillustrate its operation, l will now describe its adaptation to .themanufacture of one article-viz., a watchkey-for which I have previouslymade application for a patent in the United States. Said key is aboutone and one-quarter inch in length, and one-quarter inch (more orless)in diameter, the end in which the socket is formed being tapered, as arethe stems of ordinary watch-keys. Said key may be formed cylindrical,hexagonal, or octagonal, and in itslongitudinal center a hole is bored,connecting the opposite end to that in which the socket is formed withthe inner terminus of said socket for the purpose of blowing the dust ordirt therefrom, and thus keeping the socket free. y

The Wire from which the keys are to be made, after being formedoctagonal or cylindrical, as may be desired, is iirst cut the properlength for tbe keys. Then these blanks are placed in tte inclined chuteO, as seen in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and by means of t-he corrugatedwheel O', rotated by the mechanism, as previously described, said blanksare let off one at a time and landed on the seat-block P and held firmlythereon by the jaw Q. Now, we will suppose the turret B to carry in itsboxes B'Z four tools-viz., a center punch, a drill, a square punch, anda hollow boring tool or mill-and the turret B to carry in its boxes Bthree tools-viz., a center punch, a drill, and a nishingtool. As soon asthejaw has dropped onto the blank the center punch in each turret willbe in line with said blank and ready to be moved forward'by means of thecams operating the sliding carriages C C. After the blank has beencentered and the said carriages returned to their former positions thecams for operating` the turrets will rotate said turrets sufficient-lyto bring the drills in line with said blank. The carriage C is thentirst moved toward the blank, and the drill mounted on t-he turret Bbores the hole for the socket. Subsequently the carriage C' is againmoved toward the blank, and the drill mountcdon the turret B bores thehole connecting with the socket-hole, after which the carriages areagain moved away and the turrets rotated until the square punch on theturret B and the finishing-tool on the turret B are in line with saidblank, and when the carriages again Ymove toward said blank the squarepunch forms the square socket, while the tool on the opposite turretfinishes that end of the key. There then remains but one operation tocomplete the key-i. e., turning the taper on the socket end-which isaccomplished by the fourth tool on the turret B. After this lastoperation the jaw Q rises by aid of the cam` T and weighted lever It andreleases the finished key and receives'a second blank.

The finished key may be shot out, if desired, after the upward movementof the jaw Q by a suitable tool held in either ofthe turretsB B andoperated as are the other stationary tools.

The speed ofthe shaft li and the construe` tion ofthe cam T are such asto insure the retention of a blank under the jaw Q while all oftheseveral above operations are being performed.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is v .I

1. The combination of a lathe-bed having mechanism, substantially asdescribed, for holding the work rigid, the sliding carriages, andrevolving turrets, with longitudinal and transverse shafts hung inbearings on said bed and connected by bevel-gears, and suitable cams andactuating-levers, whereby said turrets are rotated and said carriagesare moved as required, all constructed and operating substantially asand for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of a lathe-bed having mechanisni,substantially asdescribed,forhold ing the work rigid, the sliding carriages,andrevolving turrets, stationary tools mounted radially thereon,withlongitudinal and transverse shafts hung in bearings on said bed andconnected by bevel-gears, and suitable cams and actuating-levers,whereby said turrets are rotated and said carriages are moved upon saidbed as required, all constructed and operating substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

3. The combination of a lathe-bed having mechanism, substantially asdescribed, for holding the work rigid, the sliding carriages andrevolving turrets, revolving tools mounted radially thereon, and means,substantially as IIO shown, for driving the same, with longitudinal andtransverse shafts hung in bearings upon said lathe-bed and connected bybevelgears, and suitable cams and actuating-levers, whereby said turretsare rotated and said carriages are moved upon said bed as required, allconstructed and operating as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of a lathe-bed having mechanism, substantially asdescribed, for holding the work rigid, the sliding carriages andrevolving turrets, revolving tools mounted radially thereon and drivenby bevel-pinions, and a bevel-gear mounted on a vertical shaft hungcentrally in said turrets and having at its lower end a beltpulley, withlongitudinal and transverse shafts hung in bearings upon said lathe-bedand connected by bevelgears,and suitable cams and actuating-levers,whereby said turrets are rotated and said carriages are moved upon saidbed as required, all constructed and operating substantially in themanner and t'or the purpose described and set forth.

5. In a lathe, the combination of a sliding carriage and a revolvingturret mounted thereon and provided with revolving tools, andmeans,substantially as described, whereby said carriage and turret aremoved and rotated intermittently, as set forth.

6. In a lathe, the combination of a Weighted lever, a cam t'or operatingsaid lever, a movablejaw, a latch, a feed-wheel, and a chute, allarranged to operate as an automatic feeding device substantially' asshown, and tor the purpose set forth.

7. In a lathe, the combination of a movable jaw, a seat-block, a leverconnected with said jaw, and means for operating the same, whereby thework may beheld rigid while beingop-` ljaw provided with a groove forthe insertion of a stampingdie, a seat-block, a lever connected withsaid jaw substantially as shown, and means for operating the same,whereby the work may be stamped or marked while being held to beoperated upon, as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a lathe, the combination of revolving turrets and slidingcarriages, and a cam for moving said carriages, substantially asdescribed,with a spring, for the purpose ot' moving and holding saidcarriages in close contact with said cam, as shown and set forth.

l0. In a lathe, .the combinatioawith a sliding earriage,ota revolvingturret,and revolving tools mounted thereomand means, substantially asdescribed, whereby said turret may be revolved independently of saidcarriage, as set forth.

1t. In a lathe, the con1bination,wth sliding carriages,ot revolvingturrets having notches or ratchets b2 b, pawls I l', and means,substantially as described, whereby said turrets may be revolvedindependently ot' said carriages, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof 1 at'ix my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

FRANK M. STEVENS.

XVi t n esses:

J. B. TnUns'roN, H. J. CRIPPEN.

